These Small Hours
by HumanKnotGirl
Summary: The sequel to "On the Way to Heaven." Provides further insight into the mysterious "Project Angel" and the truth about the Ichinose Report. What will happen? Rated T for ideologically sensitive material.
1. International Manhunt

She lay against a tree, cupping her left hand against her right arm to prevent it from moving. While it didn't feel like anything was broken, it was badly sprained and heavily bruised. A trickle of blood cascaded down her forehead, and her sky blue dress was torn in several places. Five hundred meters away, smoke and fire cascaded over the remains of her Mazda Miata, which had wedged itself at the bottom of an embankment.

Kotomi Ichinose was not having a good day.

Touching down at Narita International roughly three hours ago, the first thing she had done was try to claim her luggage. "We're sorry," began the attendant with a sincere bow. "It would appear that somebody removed your suitcases prior to your departure. We can contact the SFO terminal and have them ship it to your address through the postal service, but that's the only real option, it would appear."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," she replied. "There wasn't anything of real value in them, so I wouldn't want to impose on you." _And if I'm right, there's probably nothing left anyway._ "In any case, I had a pleasant flight, and that is much more valuable to me."

"We at Narita are happy to hear such praises by our customers. As a courtesy, we will be giving you a voucher discount on your next flight. Thanks you once again for choosing us for your travel needs."

With a nod, she advanced through the throng of busy travelers toward the garage terminal, cautiously checking behind her roughly every fifty paces and keeping her trenchcoat locked tight around her. Fishing her keys from her bag, she climbed into her Miata and advanced down the levels to ground floor, flooring it into the dimly lit expressway of route 51.

The clock read four in the morning. If traffic remained low she could return to Hikarizaka by eight, but if she hit morning congestion she might not get back until eleven. In any case, she had no intention of hanging around.

In the first hour, she had made it to the seaside, flooring it as off in the distance she saw patrolboats and buoys floating amid the darkness. By the second hour, Kotomi had arrived in Oarai, and it was then that she realized she was being followed. The vehicle in question appeared to be some sort of van, distancing itself by about fifty meters from her, and slowing or speeding up whenever she did.

_They must have bugged my car while I was away. This isn't good._ Knowing she was risking a ticket but weighing in on the urgency of the situation, she floored it through red lights in the advancing towns, weaving through streets to throw off her assailant, but to no avail. Doing so had only cost her precious time, and now the sun had come up with another hour and a half to home.

Cursing inwardly, Kotomi did the only thing she could. Grabbing up her bag and sealing it tight, she set the cruise control to sixty kilometers an hour, unbuckled, and opened her door. She hit the hard pavement just before her car careened into a curve, sending it rolling until it came to rest below and burst into flame.

Letting adrenaline carry her, she dove down into the heavy forest, nearby residents coming out of their homes to see what the hell had just happened. She didn't care; at this moment the only thing that mattered was her own survival.

She heard men giving chase, searching the woods and shouting violently. Finding a secluded ditch, she curled up tight. Her arm hurt badly and she was filthy. Minutes passed before she heard fire engines advancing toward her wrecked car. The men, knowing they could be found out, called off their search, and Kotomi heaved a sigh of relief.

With what little strength remained, she descended and found the fire brigade still at work conducting an investigation. Thankful that at least one thing had gone right this morning, she collapsed, one of the workers running toward her as her eyes closed, darkness surrounding her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Nakamura, it would appear that the Ichinose girl has been located." Dr. Ibuki tossed a newspaper across to the girl next to him.

"What is this?"

"Read it."

"'Car Explodes: Girl on the Run from Mysterious Assailants.'"

"She jumped from her car doing sixty. Responders found her exiting the woods after being chased. She was on her way back to Hikarizuka and only made it as far as Yabuki. Authorities transferred her over to Sukagawa's facilities, which are Tier II."

"According to this, her injuries weren't that severe," countered the girl, finger scanning the text.

"It was for her protection. The room is being monitored by security cameras and armed guards."

"Well that makes sense." Sighing, Yuri stood up and looked out the window into the parking lot below. Snow was falling, blanketing everything in a milky white color. "Shame for it to happen to her right before Christmas. Then again, this isn't the first time someone's been after an Ichinose."

"It'll take time, but I can easily have her transferred," interjected the Director.

"Make it so."

"Ma'am." With that, Dr. Kenji Ibuki saw himself out to perform his task. Yuri stayed back, pulling out the Ichinose file from a shelf behind her desk. Using a highlighter, she annotated the newspaper article before folding it up and slipping it in with the other documents.

Locking the door to the office, she sat down on a yoga mat, crossing her legs in a lotus pose. Clearing her mind, she closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply, reaching a state of meditative calm. Slowly, the world around her began to fade, and when she opened her eyes, a green meadow lay before her.

The sound of a brisk creek could be heard from afar, and foxes were scurrying about to her right. A curious one came up to her and she scratched its ear, letting it hop into her lap. "Where is she?" Yuri asked the small creature.

As if on cue, a younger girl approached. If you were to look at the two girls in the field, they both had similar features. The same colored hair, albeit in different styles. Similar eyes, the same facial structure, and like proportions to their bodies. It would be no stretch of the imagination to assume the two were sisters, as they in-fact were.

"It seems to have taken a liking to you, sis," began Akari Nakamura with a faint giggle. "It's been too long."

"Yeah, sorry I couldn't get back to you until now," replied Yuri. "I made you a promise and I almost couldn't keep it. This is the second time I've failed you."

"Sister..."

"I'm going to get you out of here, Akari. I can promise you that. But it's going to take more time. We've found someone who has vital information about our worlds, and through her we might be able to learn more about what these worlds really are, how they connect."

"I understand, Yuri. But one thing still bothers me. Why don't you want me migrating to Battlefront?"

"Even though Kanade was able to create one with no remnants of the old, there is no guarantee that the shadows won't return. I don't want you in the line of fire."

"But Yuri-"

"That's an order!" Catching herself, Yuri sighed and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I...I can't keep losing you. Please, whatever you do, do not go to Battlefront. Stay here and lay low until we can figure things out. Please."

"Alright. At any rate, wish Yuzaru and Kanade well for me." With that, Yuri and Akari shared a hug before the older sister returned herself to the physical world. As she unlocked the door, she opened it to find the Director standing across from her.

"What were you doing just now?"

"Nothing," replied the girl, snatching paperwork from his hand. "So this is a copy of the transfer order?"

"It was approved; we'll be seeing our target in eight hours."

"Very well. I'll leave you to whatever it is a hospital director is supposed to do." Yuri pulled out her cell phone as she made her way to the cafeteria. _It might be a good time to bring them in. Suzume and Lorelei; according to Kanade, they should be pretty cooperative._ Navigating to her case contacts list, she tapped the Call button, putting the receiver to her ear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in the Illusionary Dimension, Ayato Naoi watched as yet another orb of light exploded into fragments, another world having collapsed from vacancy. "That makes one hundred ninety-nine down and infinity to go; why don't you quit while you're ahead?"

"Because we're on a mission, and you know what we're like when we're set on something," responded Yuzaru Otonashi as he caught his breath. He and Kinnosuke Tsukiyomi had been working tirelessly for what felt like days, but was really no more than a few hours in physical time.

"Give us a little credit," yelled Kinnosuke from across the field. "And it can't be more than a couple thousand at this point; everyone else in existence is pretty much in a state of having passed on or reincarnated."

Naoi shook his head. "I still don't understand what sending them all to Battlefront is going to accomplish. And what if the Shadows come back? Then you're all proper screwed."

"Think of Battlefront as a second earth," began Yuzaru.

"A second Earth?"

"Battlefront was originally a school for those who had unfilled lives, so this is simply a magnification of the concept. And in any case, it beats sitting in a metaphysical holding cell for literal ages." With that, Yuzaru Otonashi clapped his hands together and vanished.

Still shaking his head, Naoi turned to the other man. "Kinnosuke, are you on deck with all this?" Of course, Kinnosuke just vanished without saying a word to him. Frustrated he, wandered on, watching as more worlds began to explode into fragments, the orb of light that is Battlefront getting larger and larger. He pressed a hand up to it, feeling its energy and the essence of hundreds of lives all now seamlessly intertwined.

_I don't like this. Not one damn bit. But what can I do? I'm just the messenger. Once a God, now a man, I lack any real power. Oh, the hell with it._ With that, he too clapped his hands together and vanished.

Arriving in what appeared to be a large metropolis, he saw her jotting notes on a sheet of paper. "You do good work, Tachibana."

"Thank you, Naoi." Without looking up from her writing, she continued to wander the streets, columns of cubes rising around her before solidifying into massive skyscrapers. "Not too different from home if I do say so myself, but anything beyond it is going to be a tad incongruous."

"Indeed. But what's with the hardhat?"

"It completes the look."

"Oh." With that, Ayato Naoi made his way down the avenue to the heart of this world: the school. It honestly looked no different than it had before, when Kaname Tachibana, Angel's grandfather, had designed it. In fact, the likeness was so similar that it almost sent a shiver down the man's spine as he headed up the steps to the main buildings.

"I heard you were the one who saved my sister." Hearing a voice, Naoi turned around to see Takashi Morioka. Morioka was the victim of an elevator accident two months prior, in the hospital that Kanade Tachibana normally staffed. It was a case that Naoi remembered fondly.

"All I did was deliver a message. It was Tachibana's quick thinking which allowed Yukine Kobayakawa to live."

"Yukine Morioka, you mean. I heard from Angel that my parents have since gotten back together."

"Good for them." Naoi turned toward the mess hall.

Takashi followed him. "I want to know something. What's your stake in all of this?"

"Pardon?"

"You're against Operation New World Order, and yet here you are doing nothing to stop them. At the same time, you don't have an illusionary world of your own, and just come and go as you please. So what, are you looking for something? Or could it be..." he paused. "...could it be that there's something you don't want to face?"

Turning to him, Naoi simply responded with, "You think too much," turned around and headed onward.


	2. Family Secrets

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Yuri didn't bother to look up from her work as the door across the room shut with a dull clang. "I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you were able to take care of a good portion of the plan while away."

Kanade Tachibana set a folder down on the desk. "Screen captures from the neural interface. The enclosed space now occupies a flat area of roughly four hundred and sixty square kilometers, or just under two hundred square miles. Combined with vertical architecture, there is enough accommodations for seven hundred sixty-eight thousand individuals, and we currently have twenty-two thousand occupants spread out in individualized sectors."

"And the core?"

"There is a capacity of sixteen hundred, no NPC programs, and currently occupied by six hundred, or just over a third."

Yuri began to leaf through the pictures. "You do good work as always. As for the home front, Kotomi Ichinose is in room 134. Suzume and Lorelei are there already, as per your recommendation. They were kind enough to give us copies of the Ichinose Report, which I have been annotating for the past six hours. I want you to take it to them."

"Understood. With that, Kanade grabbed the highlighted file from Yuri and made her exit. Wandering the halls until she arrived at the Ichinose patient room, the girl ran her fingers across the door's label. This was the room where she had started so long ago. Though only six months had passed in this time plane, the reality is that she began Project Angel more than two years ago.

She could still recall that first case: Naoto Akiyama, the aspiring tactician. The boy was suffering complications from pneumonia, and his dying wish was to play against a shogi champion. With just a day remaining before the boy's condition turned fatal, Kanade had found an opponent and fulfilled his dream. Remembering this brought a surge of emotion to the girl.

Shrugging it off, she knocked on the door. "Come in, come in!" The voice of an elderly woman that Kanade knew all too well.

"Good evening, madame Lorelei, miss Suzume," replied Kanade sincerely. "And you must be Kotomi." A nod from the woman. "My name is Kanade Tachibana, though if you like you may refer to me as Angel."

"I have heard so much about you," began Kotomi. "I was told that you were a huge help in bringing my cousin and great aunt closer together. I am very happy to finally meet you, and would be more than honored to consider you my ally."

"The honor is mine." Kanade handed her the annotated file. "Director Ibuki had you transferred to this facility because, truth be told, we need your help."

"I understand."

"Furthermore, my colleague, Yuri Nakamura, requested that I show you something. I ask only that you not panic or scream, because I promise not to harm you in any way." With that, the Angel raised her arm. "Guard Skill: Hand Sonic." Soon the room was bathed in a dull blue light as a blade began to materialize along her arm.

Suzume clapped her hands in wonderment. Lorelei bit her lip, while Kotomi ran a finger along the flat of the blade. "Incredible. I've heard of such things being possible in the Illusionary Dimension, but that you were able to call forth your abilities on this plane..."

"According to Nakamura, the reason for this is because there is nothing differentiating the ID from our world. But to confirm that, we needed to contrast it with your family's research. That is why all of you have been called in to be questioned."

"I understand." The bedridden girl began to pout. "It's not that I don't want to help you. Rather, I don't think I can give you more information than you already know. That said, our neural-imaging department at Berkeley was running similar experiments to your own, collaborating on a monthly basis with multiple facilities throughout the world."

"Was ours one of those facilities?"

"No; whatever you have been doing has mostly been a guarded secret." This didn't really surprise the nurse, but she looked away anyway, retracting the blade.

"Dr. Ibuki was using the research to try and resurrect his late wife, Naomi Ibuki."

"Doing so usually requires the passing of a spirit. An exchange of sorts."

"He intended to use one of our hospital staff, a longtime friend of mine."

"Where is your friend now?"

"In the Illusionary Dimension, serving as co-caretaker for a new Earth."

"Intriguing. Very intriguing." There was a pause as Kotomi lifted the cuff of her medical gown. "As I said, you know about as much as I do, and your experiences affirm what's already been researched. The final pieces of the puzzle, however, I keep safe within me. And if memory serves, the same goes for my cousin."

At this, Suzume Ichinose stepped forward. "When you handled my case, Dr. Otonashi said something to me. A message from my father, that memory was the key. It took me a while, but I finally understood what he meant."

"Dr. Ibuki relayed that much to us, yes."

"However, there was one thing I chose to omit." With that, she removed her sweatshirt and bared her shoulder as well.

"What is all this?" asked Kanade.

"Inside the both of us are radiofrequency chips, or RFIDs," answered Kotomi. "I had one implanted in me during university. Suzume got hers implanted around the same time, though she was too young to remember straight away."

"And these hold research from outside the Ichinose report?"

Lorelei stepped forward. "It was Koutarou's request, as per his last will and testament, which was found in the years following his death. I objected...at first, but Kotomi assured me that it was a necessary task."

"Auntie, how much do you really know?" Kotomi asked.

"I know enough. Which is why I wasn't too shocked to find Kaname's granddaughter at the forefront of all this."

"You knew my grandfather?"

"Offhand; rather, it was my nephew who knew him more formally prior to his passing."

"I can't say I ever got to meet him personally," lamented Kanade.

"Your grandfather was a brilliant man, without a doubt. However, in the end, the things he did were unforgivable."

"What do you mean?"

With that, Lorelei Ichinose pulled a small electronic device from her bag. "Perhaps it is time all of you found out the truth. The truth of the Ichinose and Tachibana families."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It is at this time that we must bring forth a change of scenery, a return to Hikarizaka and another key family in this tale. Picture in your mind the scent of fresh bread and cookies wafting from a small bakery on the edge of town. Unfortunately, such a dreamy scene is soon interrupted by the wailing of an older woman.

"Then it's no wonder my bread hasn't sold!" exclaimed Sanae Furukawa as she ran out the door into the street.

"That's not true honey! I love your bread!" A distraught Akio Furukawa running after her after dumping a basket of rolls into his gaping mouth.

Inside the bakery, Tomoya Okazaki could only sigh. He knew that this was a common trait with his in-laws, yet he couldn't hide his disbelief at how easy it was for Akio to run his damn mouth. As he checked his suitcase for the last time, he called out into the hall, "Did you make sure to pack everything you'll need, Nagisa?"

"Yes!" was the response as Tomoya's longtime lover and wife entered the room, dragging a duffel bag over her shoulder. "A-Ah!" Unfortunately, she lost her balance upon entering the kitchen, fell forward, and landed awkwardly on her bag, body contorted like a wax figurine.

"Nagisa, are you alright?" Tomoya rushed to pull her upright again, while the woman tried to brush herself off.

"You'd think after living here all these years I'd know what to avoid!" With that she playfully bopped herself on the head as her daughter rushed into the room.

"Daddy, is mommy okay?"

Nagisa picked herself up, brushing off. "Yes, Ushio, I'm fine, no need to worry."

Tomoya picked up the seven year old girl. "Now, we're only going to be gone for a week. I want you to be on your best behavior for Aki and Sanae. Can you do that?"

"Mhm!" The girl nodded with a smile from ear to ear.

Akio and Sanae returned, both with dejected looks on their faces. Nagisa couldn't help but giggle. "Alright, we're heading out, mom and dad!"

"Be careful, and be sure to call us every night," replied Sanae.

"And kid, you know what I'll do to ya if you don't keep my daughter out of harm's way," interjected Akio.

"Very well, _**grand-pa.**_"

"What did you say to me you jerk!?" With that, Tomoya ducked and dodged his way out of the bakery, Nagisa running to keep up, careful not to trip again.

The train ride remained relatively quiet; Nagisa had fallen asleep within the first thirty minutes. Tomoya, on the other hand, found himself writing into a notepad. So far, only two paragraphs had been written, and the man knew that he had a lot left to go, roughly five years of information.

The call had come in two days prior.

"Furukawa Bakery, Tomoya speaking."

"Hello Tomoya! It has been far too long!"

"Kotomi-chan? Where are you calling from?"

"Well, I kind of had a little incident on the way back to town. Oh, but I promise I'm alright!"

"Where are you now?"

"Ushinawa Medical Center. I was transferred in two hours ago. Listen, I need a favor."

"You're my friend; you know I'm more than willing to do what I can."

"Great! Here's what I'm going to need you to do..."

And so, Tomoya ended up on a train to Ushinawa. Truth be told, it worked out well for him since both his father and his grandmother lived in the region. He noted that he would need to make a note to visit them before the week was over. That said, Kotomi's request was very peculiar in and of itself.

This was not the first time he had been called to testify about his experiences with the Illusionary Dimension. But to visually recreate the experience...for starters, how would he even accomplish that? Regardless, he had to try for the sake of his friend Kotomi. He knew full well that he was the only one who could do this for her.

More importantly though, he was worried about how Nagisa would react. He had never brought it up with her directly, but often wondered if what Kotomi said was true. Was it possible for Nagisa to have dormant memories of the experience? And if so, how would bringing it to light affect the psyche of his wife? He wanted to protect her, but what if it was out of his control?

And as the train began to slow to a stop, he realized that he had made very little progress. But no matter; it wasn't as if the writing itself would really be all that necessary. Waking Nagisa with a slight tap on the shoulder, he helped her to step out onto the platform, the chilly December air surrounding them as they stepped forth into the night.

When they arrived at the medical center, they were directed to Room 704. They found Kotomi with a brace on her arm. She would later explain that collapsing had caused her to land on it, fracturing it in three places. Other than that, she had bandages on her face and chest, but very few other signs of injury. She greeted both of them with a hug before a girl with magenta hair approached.

"My name is Yuri Nakamura. I am the collaborator of this project you see before you. It is an honor to meet you."

"Likewise." Tomoya shook her hand firmly.

"The man you see to your right is Kr. Kenji Ibuki. He's the director of this hospital."

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be related to a Fuko and Kouko Ibuki, would you?" Nagisa asked the elder man.

"No relation," he replied. "Ibuki is, after all, a common surname."

"The women to your left are my cousin Suzume, and great aunt Lorelei," continued Kotomi. "That silver-haired girl is Dr. Kanade Tachibana. She's also one of the curators for the Illusionary Dimension, and the reason we are all here right now."

Hands were shaken and everyone gathered around the table in the center of the room. "This device is a neural interface. With this, we will be able to see everything you saw during your experiences with the ID." Kotomi began to put sensors on Tomoya's head with help from Kanade. "You won't feel anything out of the ordinary."

"Got it," Tomoya replied. "So I just get on the table and close my eyes?"

"That's it."

"Go on, honey, you can do it!" exclaimed Nagisa.

"Are...are you sure you want to be in here when we do this? I mean, it was during a period where you were...no longer with me."

"I'm with you now, and that's all that matters." She put her hand in her husband's. "You've been there for me through so much. I want to be able to do the same for you."

"Thank you, Nagisa." With that, he propped himself onto the table, lay back, and closed his eyes, getting ready to relive the worst time of his life for all in the room to witness.


	3. The Ichinose Report

THE ICHINOSE REPORT, 3RD EDITION - PUBLISHED ON THE 1ST OF JANUARY, 2014

COWRITERS:

- Dr. Kotomi Ichinose, Ph.D. of Quantum Theory

- Dr. Kenji Ibuki, Ph.D. of Neurology, B.S. of Biochemistry

- Yuri Nakamura, Project Angel

DEDICATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

- Dr. Koutarou Ichinose, Ph.D. of Statistics, M.S. of Theoretical Physics

- Dr. Mizue Ichinose, Ph.D of Statistics, M.S. of Anthropology

- Dr. Kaname Tachibana, Ph.D. of Statistics, B.S. of Neurology

- Shinji Nakamura, M.S. of Neurology

- Seiichi Ichinose, B.S. of Applied Psychology and Psychiatry

- Kanade Tachibana, Project Angel

- Yuzaru Otonashi, Project Angel

- Kinnosuke Tsukiyomi, Project Angel

- Suzume Ichinose, Project Angel

- Tomoya and Nagisa Okazaki, Independent Case Study

INTRODUCTION:

In 1989, Koutaru and Mizue Ichinose began research on a joint thesis under the direction of Dr. Kaname Tachibana, a retired statistics professor from the Kyoto Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences. This research delved into the science of probability in both future and past events, as well as the correlation between events on theoretical time planes.

Using string theory as the basis for their work, the three Kyoto alumni began to create journals of their daily lives, listing out all of the possibilities for each daily scenario and possible branches from those alternative possibilities. What they discovered is that certain branches resulted in identical phenomena; ergo, branches combining to form a single branch which would later deviate.

By creating a database listing all of these possibilities, and assigning priorities accordingly, the Kyoto alumni were able to synthesize trends in the data, resulting in unprecedented deviations in probability. Furthermore, they found that a considerable number of branches directly correlated to a "death coefficient," at which point all branches inevitably end.

Further extrapolating, the Kyoto alumni chose to no longer limit themselves to a forward direction, and began to move in reverse. What they found was that in more than seventy percent of cases, the "death coefficient" could be removed entirely by reverting to an alternative decision timeline, due to the interconnectedness of most branches. However, this was not enough to cement their claim.

In 1992, Koutaru and Mizue sought the help of a close family member: Seiichi Ichinose, an applied psychology graduate from Fukushima Medical University. This new collaborative investigated two specific phenomena: cases of déjà vu, and out-of-body experiences. This resulted in two postulates:

1) Déjà vu being a result of reversals in the flow of time, caused by alterations to prevent the "death coefficient" from occurring.

2) Out-of-body experiences being a mechanism for this phenomena.

Their work was by no means the first to examine elements of time travel. It relied heavily on derivative works investigating the relationship between black holes and white holes. To prove their postulates, the new collaborate would need to draw a parallel, and that is what they did in 1993.

Unfortunately, their work would never be released to the public. Koutaru and Mizue, the co-writers of the thesis, were on a flight to the United States when their aircraft experienced a catastrophic failure, crashing into the Pacific Ocean. The two were killed instantly, with the sole copy of the finished product being lost in the debris.

Seiichi Ichinose did not have enough mathematical knowledge to continue the project on the behalf of his deceased family members. Regrettably, he removed himself from the project in the weeks following the deaths. Dr. Tachibana, meanwhile, took whatever information he could salvage and threw together a rough demonstration and memorial, which he presented in January 1994 at a Kyoto summit. As a result of this, Koutarou and Mizue were both granted an honorary Ph.D., with busts of their likenesses erected in the university chapel.

Poor health began to overtake Dr. Tachibana, and he fell into a comatose state in the fall of 1996. However, his body appeared to be completely functional, a condition which baffled physicians at the time. While those overseeing his care were able to document a significant degree of background neural activity, they had no mechanism with which to interpret it at the time. Long term care was initiated in hopes that he would one day awaken, and all discussion in regards to the Ichinose Report quieted for several years.

ABOUT THE 2ND EDITION:

In 2002, discussion of the Ichinose report resurfaced, this time in the Ichinose daughter, Kotomi. Upon learning the truth of the circumstances behind her parents' deaths, the developing scientist began to push forward into the study behind the original thesis. Kyoto supplied her with the archives compiled by Dr. Tachibana in the 1990s.

Kotomi enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley campus beginning August 2003. Combining a rigorous curriculum with independent research, the ambitious girl was able to develop a second edition of the thesis during the following year.

This was helped through technological advances that were occurring in Kotomi's native Japan at the time. Shinji Nakamura, another graduate of Fukushima, had developed an experimental neural interface for visualizing with comatose and locked-in patients. The University of California system purchased units for all of its campuses as soon as was feasible.

The observations gathered from this new interface were nothing short of phenomenal and could only be described as true out-of-body experiences. Ichinose and her colleagues had to question how an individual whose body had completely shut itself down could produce such high levels of neural activity, and the only logical conclusion was that of an intermediate state.

Thus the idea of an Illusionary World began to gain solidity. Postulated by Koutarou and Mizue in the first edition, what it lacked was a visual component to affirm its existence. The second edition overcame that hurdle and would go on to revolutionize science and philosophy for years to come.

Yet Kotomi Ichinose was skeptical, as there were still a plethora of unanswered questions. The "Theory of Everything" lacked a fundamental core, and because of this Kotomi did not feel the second edition could be considered complete. The 2004 publishing was therefore done without press fanfare or any real coverage at all. Kotomi would go back to the drawing board, and the topic would fall to the wayside for another ten years.

ABOUT THE THIRD EDITION:

The third edition of the Ichinose Report is the most definitive existence of an intermediary. No longer just a single world concept, the Illusionary Dimension has been found to be an infinite array of worlds outside our own, in parallel with our own, following the "death coefficient reversal theory."

In July 2013, the Ushinawa Medical Center began an outreach program known as Project Angel. Many of the case studies found in this edition are based on the lives of those involved in Project Angel, as well as individuals of an independent case study. Visual evidence collected from the neural interface system are supplied in the Appendices of this report. Video disks with further evidence are to be presented in conjunction with this report. Elements of the third edition begin on page 78.

- Dr. Kenji Ibuki, Ph.D. of Neurology, B.S. of Biochemistry

CASE 1: Yuzaru Otonashi

On February 1st, 2012, Yuzaru Otonashi was admitted to the Ushinawa Medical Center in critical condition following a train derailment and tunnel cave-in along the Joetsu Line. Trapped with other victims for a period of seven days, dehydration and internal bleeding culminated to bring about a shutdown of organ systems within the body.

Given a survival probability of less than four percent, he was added to the National Organ Donor Registry, as noted on his identification card. However, responders picked up on heavy neural activity contrasting his critical state, and chose to keep him on life support for a short time.

During his inpatient duration, with his condition showing no signs of improving, he was matched to a young girl in need of a heart transplant. The operation was completed on February 14th. Without warning, the donor began to undergo something rather extraordinary.

Miraculously, neural activity began to accelerate to unprecedented levels, organs which had ceased functioning beginning to manifest again. A rapid operation to install an artificial heart into the donor was performed. Consciousness was achieved on February 15th, 2012 at 5:26AM. Questioned as to whether the boy would wish to be added to the NODR, he declined. With a recovery period of six weeks, and a rehabilitation period of nine months, the boy would go on to lead a relatively normal life, finishing medical training and beginning an internship with Ushinawa Medical Center.

Medical professionals involved tagged the case files as highly classified, making contact with Kyoto, Fukushima, and Berkeley, as all three were contributors to the Ichinose Reports of 1994 and 2004. Regrettably, the Joetsu derailment had claimed the life of Seiichi Ichinose and his wife, thus eliminating another contributor to the project and two loving parents. Their daughter, one Suzume Ichinose, was placed under the custody of her grandmother, Lorelei. Because of this, foul play was suspected, but a formal investigation produced nothing conclusive.

CASE 2: Kanade Tachibana

On August 5th, 2011, Kanade Tachibana was diagnosed with a severe heart defect. After conventional forms of surgical practice had failed, she was placed on the NODR. On January 29th, 2012, Kanade's condition took a turn for the worse and she was admitted to Intensive Care. The donor who supplied a heart to her was Yuzaru Otonashi.

Her condition improved in identical proportions to Yuzaru Otonashi's, and thus her case too was labeled highly classified and added to the Ichinose Report. However, upon further examination of the girl's history, other oddities begin to become apparent.

In July 2013, the girl began an internship at Ushinawa Medical Center, serving under Otonashi. Dr. Kenji Ibuki requested that she participate in an experiment as per prior research into the Ichinose Report. She consented, and her memories were probed by a neural interface device. What was discovered, alarmingly, were not one, but multiple sets of memories, two of which correlated with the "death coefficient." Yuzaru Otonashi was probed next, and it was revealed that an astonishing four of his memory sets correlated with the "death coefficient."

Attempts were made to locate the remaining contributor to the Ichinose Report. After arriving in the country, the woman was assailed and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, for which she was hospitalized. At the request of Dr. Kenji Ibuki, she was transferred to Ushinawa, where further deliberations began.

CASE 3: Tomoya and Nagisa Okazaki

In the winter of 2006, Nagisa Okazaki would give birth to a beautiful young girl. In this moment, fate would attach multiple strings. For her husband Tomoya, the incident has two prominent strings, one of which bears correlation to the "death coefficient."

In the first string, Nagisa would pass away, and a five year period of depression would overtake Tomoya. These memories were visually probed using the neural interface and, though conjecture, were verified psychiatrically. In the second string, Nagisa would survive the incident. This is the string which applies to our current continuum. Visual and psychiatric data for both strings can be found in the appendices.

CASE 4: Latent Abilities Derived from the "Death Coefficient."

For Yuzaru Otonashi, Kanade Tachibana, one Yuri Nakamura, and one Kinnosuke Tsukiyomi, death is something already experienced. With the discovery of these deaths came the discovery of latent abilities gathered in death. This ranged from extrasensory abilities to the ability to alter matter within this continuum, evidences which have been provided in the appendices and verified by an independent preliminary panel. Full verification will be undergone in the months following the publication of this document.

CONCLUSION:

With the inclusion of supplementary evidence, the Ichinose Report can now be considered a completed postulate. The work which Koutarou, Mizue and Kanabe began more than two decades ago can now be put to rest. What we have discovered is that not only is the "death coefficient" real, but by tapping into higher dimensions of being, anyone can make attempts to circumvent it.

This postulate calls into question countless other theories about our existence in the universe, such as the anthropic principle. We must ask ourselves, if natural laws can be altered or neglected on a mere whim, then just how real is our own existence compared to something considered less real?

The new world hypothesis is highly disconcerting. It questions whether ours is the real world, or whether it is simply one of countless Illusionary Worlds. It questions the credibility of all of science, history, religion, and philosophy. And for that, it is a rather dangerous report to publish.

One thing is for certain, however. The final piece of the puzzle rests with the one responsible for bringing this matter to light in the first place. What can be gathered based on the conjectures of this report is that Kaname Tachibana is not dead, but in a state of dormancy. Very little is known of the man other than that his wife committed suicide in 2002. The circumstances behind that suicide are largely unknown.

In conclusion, the manhunt begins for Kaname Tachibana, who we can only suspect has fled to the Illusionary Dimension, a realm of infinite volume and containing the very essence of all life: past, present, and future.

God Help Us All.


	4. Waking from the Dream

"That will be all. Dismissed." Yuri Nakamura stood up after everyone had left the room, advancing to the window and staring out into the parking lot below. The snow had stopped over the past few days, but had just barely began to melt away. It reflected the ambience of the streetlamps, making the outside world appear brighter than it was at ten in the evening. Kanade and Yuzaru would be getting of their respective shifts in one hour. Dr. Ibuki would follow suit thirty minutes later. Kotomi Ichinose was making her way down the wintry blocks to a nearby hotel. Tomoya and Nagisa had departed earlier in the afternoon for Hikarizaka. Kinnosuke was keeping watch over New Earth.

_That just leaves Akari. But...is it time yet?_ Yuri was torn; she had told Akari to remain in a fixed location - a way to easily keep in contact - but she knew that her sister couldn't stay isolated forever. Either she brought Akari to New Earth...

"...or I bring her home," she finished, speaking to the air around her. Wandering back to the whiteboard, she erased the contents and this time drew only three circles in parallel, with circles above and below the middle, bringing the total to five. She then added five lines; three connected the leftmost circle with the three stacked circles, while to more interconnected the stack. Between the stack and the right most circle, she drew a big question mark.

_What does it really mean to pass on?_ _If I were to die with no regrets, where would I really go?_ This was the billion yen question. Was there really a point of no return for a spirit? Was there really an eternity? Or instead..._that's it!_ Frantically, she fumbled for her phone, texting Kanade to come back to her office at once. It didn't take long.

"What is it, Yuri?"

"I need you to do something for me. Combine Dimension Shift with Handsonic."

"Why do you want me to do that?" Kanade furrowed her brow.

"You're going to kill me. Right here, right now."

"Again, why?"

"Because I have a feeling that my suspicions of there not being a heaven are true."

Hesitantly, Kanade raised her arm. "Guard Skill: Hand Sonic Version 2." Light filled the room as a long and thin blade emerged along her arm. "Assault Skill: Dimension Shift." With that, the blade began to glow a hot red color. "Now what?"

"I need you to make a mark along my arm, very faintly. Imbue the mark with some sort of trigger, that way if I lose my memory, looking at it will help me recollect myself."

"Understood. With that, Kanade lined up the blade with Yuri's arm, and then quickly slashed downward. Though it didn't break the skin, it was the worst pain that Yuri Nakamura felt in her life, and it brought her to her knees."

"What will you do now?" asked Angel.

"Wake...from the dream." Pulling herself up, the magenta haired girl made her way out of the room toward the Elevator. Kanade could only pray for the safety of her friend in what she was about to try.

Reaching the final floor, Yuri made her way to the roof access, opening the door and shivering in the cold night. Determined and doing her best to put all of her fears behind her, the girl climbed onto the ledge and threw herself over. As the wind rushed by her, she shut her eyes and counted in her head. Then, half a second before she would have hit the asphalt, her entire body vanished, as if she had never existed in the first place.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She hit the floor and, startled, woke up clutching her chest. Swearing in German, the young girl pulled her blanket to the side and stood up. A clock on her nightstand revealed the time had not yet passed five in the morning. The sun would not be up for an hour and a half. Folding the blanket, she returned it to the bed before sitting up and reflecting on what had just happened.

_What a weird dream. Like something out of a science fiction novel. Yet...it felt so real..._ Sighing, she decided to get dressed and depart for the mess hall early. With any luck the cooks would already be preparing the day's rations.

The location was Frankfurt, the date March 22, 1944. The Axis had been losing significant ground, and concerns of an eventual surrender were growing more and more widespread among the soldiers. Of course, she didn't believe it. She refused to. To acknowledge it would make the last three years of her life meaningless.

The mess hall was empty when she walked through the door, so with a sigh she took a banana and sat down at a table. After thirty minutes, more soldiers began to trundle in, yawning and stretching as they went to collect some food. She continued to sit alone until one girl in particular came up to her.

"I was shocked to see you had gotten up so early, lieutenant." Her roommate, looking disheveled as ever, sat down.

"You know, it's ironic when an officer ends up waking up before her superior does, _Captain_," replied the lieutenant as she fiddled with her banana peel.

"You know, sometimes I worry you take your position too seriously."

"Yeah? Well, I'm worried you don't take your position seriously enough."

The captain simply shrugged her shoulders and shook her head before handing her subordinate a map. "Your flight pattern for the day. And _please_ remember to take a break to eat every now and again?"

"Yes ma'am," replied the lieutenant with an air of sarcasm in her voice. Standing up, she made her way out of the mess hall toward the hangar. Her first patrol of the skies lasted about two hours, and then she landed to refuel. Later in the afternoon she went on her second patrol, and finally, a third. Nothing to report. Another peaceful day. And so, after setting down for the last time, she returned to her room.

The captain was still out doing captain-related duties, so the lieutenant took the time to pen a letter to her sister back at home. Placing the finished envelope on her shelf, she retired to her bed, thankful she got something done at all today.

...

The siren forced her upright at around one in the morning. "Captain, could it be?"

"Yeah, it's the Brits. We need to get to the hangar, fast!" Together, they ran down the hill to the runway, hopping into their respective planes. Explosions began to appear all around them, and it was hell to take off.

For the lieutenant, this was an absolute thrill, a euphoria brought on by absolute danger. Breathing deeply, she took to the sky, aiming her turrets on anything and everything in her way. Unfortunately, she would never see the enemy aircraft that began to tail her, ready to strike.

As she downed a British fighter plane, the one behind her made a stream of shots, which ruptured her tail wings. Spiraling, she tried her best to keep the craft in control, but knew that this kind of landing was going to be a fatal one. She cursed herself for being so careless, knowing that she'd just wasted three years of her life in vain.

And then suddenly, she thought back to her dream. She didn't know why, perhaps it was her life flashing before her eyes that brought it on. But as she slid up the sleeve of her combat uniform, she saw the mark glowing plain as day. Instinctively, she uttered the words that she remembered, and as the plane hit the ground in a fireball, its pilot had mysteriously disappeared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuri Nakamura hit the asphalt of the parking lot with a loud thud. Every bone in her body felt as if it had shattered while being on fire. _I... was right..._ With that, darkness overtook her mind and she lost consciousness.

When she awoke, she saw Yuzaru watching over her with a clipboard in his hand. "I'd ask what you were thinking, but I'm sure you weren't at all."

"Ahh... how long was I out?" The girl rubbed her eyes, wincing as she felt her ribcage tense up.

"Almost three days. That you survived at all is nothing short of a miracle, but I guess calling upon Project Angel didn't exactly hurt either." He handed her some pills. "Take these."

Yuri filled her mouth with water and swallowed before wiping her mouth with her hand. The mark which had covered her arm appeared to have disappeared. Other than that, she couldn't discern any physical casts; just some scrapes from hitting the asphalt.

Yuzaru continued. "Thanks to Dimension Shift, you hit the ground at roughly a quarter the speed that you would have normally hit, meaning you bruised yourself rather heavily but broke nothing. And don't worry, Kanade did the physical examination, not me." At this, Yuri spluttered.

Regaining her composure, she tried to pull herself from the bed, but the doctor stopped her. "No, no, no; you're going to lay back and let your body heal itself. You can give your briefings from the comfort of a hospital bed."

"Otonashi..."

"From this point forward, you are the next Project Angel case. Let's hope you think of a good wish." With that, Dr. Otonashi finished writing in his clipboard, placed it on the door's file holder, and disappeared down the hall. Frustrated, Yuri slammed her fists on the bed, earning herself yet another bout of pain.

_Alright... considering I wound up seventy years in the past, I can only conclude that I went full circle and wound up in a past life. Considering I'm pushing close to two decades now, fifty years has to be the cutoff point. Seems kind of arbitrary. And it doesn't exactly give us a capacity for the human race._

_ As far as Malthusian dilemmas go, there's no way to tell what will happen to souls that overlap, or souls that weren't accounted for back when the human race was much smaller. But I guess that wouldn't really matter. I did prove that I have forty-seven years to figure out how to bring Akari back, and Heaven...well, reality knows that it won't take that long._

_ But wait: What about Kaname? If he really became an NPC, then what exactly happened to him? Does that make him an outlier, or does it..._

Yuri pressed the call button on her bedside control. "Nurse, can you send in Dr. Tachibana?"


	5. Story Notes 1

Hello! HumanKnotGirl (mkollersms) here again to bring you more notes regarding the story so far! Remember, these segments serve mostly to provide greater insight into the inspiration behind the story and have no real bearing on the plot, so you are free to skip them if you want. Anyway, off we go!

**Chapter One:**

- The hardest part in writing the beginning was trying to get the geographic details correct. I am not Japanese so I don't know much about the geographic and urban layouts of that country. If not for Google Maps Street View and Terrain I would have been pretty screwed.

- Another difficulty in writing it was figuring out how to have the Project Angel team intercept Kotomi. Originally I wanted to do a helicopter rescue using Dr. Ibuki, but I felt that would have been too unbelievable, so instead I ripped off _House MD_ yet again and forced a transfer. And yes, I did invoke the "Every Car is a Pinto" trope. Normally, a Miata is actually pretty safe.

- The thing in Akari's Illusionary World with the foxes I never really explained. It's actually a reference to "Kanon," another Visual Novel/Anime series by Key Visual Arts. If you haven't seen it, I recommend giving it a watch (or a playthrough if you can get your hands on a copy of the VN).

- The second Earth concept was a pretty blatant ripoff of the _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ franchise, but it also has its roots in another fanfic that I wrote: _Grudges of the Past._ If you read that one, you'll know that the cast invoked a mass migration away from a cataclysmic region in order to save millions of lives. Without spoiling it, I would like to point out that a similar plot is in the works, so if you enjoyed that, you'll enjoy this. And if you haven't read it but have enjoyed this story so far, go and give it a read. You won't be disappointed.

**Chapter Two:**

- The idea of hiding information on RFIDs (Radio-Frequency IDentification chips) is one that I've wanted to use in writing for a long time. It's a highly controversial topic, because of fears that RFIDs may be used one day to track humans. I wanted to take a different approach and show that the technology has its advantages.

- Though it's a bit out of place, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't include the Akio/Sanae bread routine at least once in my fanfiction. Better to get it out of the way now instead of later. I also included a few jokes from _After Story_ in that section; perhaps you picked up on them yourself.

- Ushinawa is the name of the town where Tomoya's father and grandmother lived prior to the events of the _Clannad_ series. This town is further explored in the fangame _Clannad: The Past Path._ I encourage fans of the main series to give it a playthrough because it really is a phenomenal telling of the background surrounding Tomoya's parents.

- The Fuko Ibuki thing (and the reason why Kenji and Naomi have the Ibuki surname) is all related to the first arc of the _Clannad _series. When Fuko was living with the Furukawa family, she claimed her last name was "Izukai," a last name shared with neighbors of the Furukawas. Tomoya and Nagisa had to quickly cover that white lie up and hilarity ensued. So yes, even when I was writing the original _On the Way to Heaven_, I was already connecting _Clannad_ elements to it. Now you know.

**Chapter Three:**

- The entirety of this chapter is meant to be its own reference. I did my best to frame it like a real scientific journal would read, and to make it all-inclusive. If you have questions about it, go back and reread it a few more times and the answers will likely make themselves apparent. If after that you're still questioning things, include your questions in either a review or PM.

**Chapter Four:**

- The past life idea is actually referencing an anime, but I didn't want to make it too obvious so I used a real-world war timeline instead of the war timeline of the series I based it on. Think: two WWII German pilots who are bunkmates, one being overly strict about discipline and one being incredibly lax about everything, and you should know what series I'm referring to (unless you've never seen it, then I dunno what to tell you). Now, originally I was going to make the past life an alternate life, and base it on Haruhi Suzumiya. But had I done that, my series would have lost all credibility and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.

- Note: In writing the past life scene, I did make an error about the rank of one of the pilots. The Lieutenant in this series is actually a Captain in the series I referenced. There, another hint for you. Go nuts.

**What's Next:**

Alright, so the series proper has hit about 40,000 words, making it one of the longest stories I have ever written. That said, it's about to get a lot longer and a lot weirder as shit goes down. As you probably guessed, we're going to be seeing Kaname Tachibana pretty soon. A lot of the plot from this point out will be based off the Angel Beats timeline, just like _On the Way to Heaven_ did. However, I will try to throw _Clannad_ elements in where I can. This wouldn't be a proper crossover otherwise.


	6. Coming Home

"You know," began Yuri with a grimace, "for some reason hospital food always tastes worse when you're a patient than when you're just a visitor or associate."

"There are a multitude of reasons for that, though they are more subjective than scientific," reasoned Kanade. "When you're ill, depressed, or otherwise fatigued, your senses are much duller, and that includes those of smell and taste. Furthermore, when you're a patient you're required to eat whatever we choose to put in front of you."

"Well, it is true that normally I wouldn't touch the Chicken and Gravy with a two meter pole. It's way too bland!"

"Maybe so, but just because you could easily handle mapo tofu at this point does not mean we should pump you full of it."

"Only you like mapo tofu, Kanade."

"My boyfriend likes it."

"Then you're perfect for each other." The magenta haired girl got out of bed and started to stretch. "Seriously, it feels like I'm on house arrest with you guys!"

"Well, considering you threw yourself off a tall building, the board came to the conclusion that you are something of a - how did they put it - danger to yourself and those of us who are still bound by the antiquated laws of physics, that was it."

"Not going to lie, even I find that impressive." Careful not to let her gown slip, Yuri placed her hands on the wall and began to pop her aching bones. "But hey, at least we know now that if we die, we'll wake up either one hundred years in the past, or fifty years in the future. Give or take."

"I do not find that comforting. Now, have you come up with anything yet?"

"Come up with..." she stopped. "Wait, Otonashi was serious!?"

"Project Angel is still in suspension, but you're our friend so we're going to use this free time wisely. Besides, I'm sure we both already know what it is you want more than anything."

Yuri could only stare out the window. "I'm still not sure what the right choice is. Especially now that we know-"

"That's just a theory, Yuri!" Kanade's outburst was jarring, though it didn't exactly come as a shock to Yuri. The nurse began to shake. "I still... can't wrap my head around that possibility. Not yet anyway..."

"Kanade..."

Back in the Illusionary Dimension, Ayato Naoi suddenly sneezed. "Strange, I sense a disturbance in the flow of time. It would appear that the cat may already be out of the bag." Wiping his nose with a handkerchief, he made his way down a street, watching as wandering souls partook in mundane activities, no different than what they would be doing on Earth. "It never should have come to this."

Clapping his hands together, he allowed his essence to transcend the boundaries of New Earth, sliding into the void that encompassed all dimensions. And then, he began to sing. _Long ago, but not so very long ago..._

As he did so, he felt his body beginning to morph and change, becoming much older. His hair lengthened, becoming grayer in color. _The world was different. Oh yes it was._ He snapped his fingers. _You settled down and you built a town and made it live..._

As he continued to move his hands, an eerie black ooze began to appear out of the ground. _And you watched it... grow..._ The black ooze began to shift and tighten into humanoid shapes. Shadows. "Ah, yes. These will most certainly come in handy again." _Time goes by, time brings changes, and you change too..._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She found herself at the Ichinose apartment, not sure why her legs carried her there. Nonetheless, she knocked on the door.

"Oh, Kanade! Isn't it a little late to be out right now?" Suzume Ichinose frowned. "Did something happen tonight?"

"I needed to speak to Lorelei. Is she still awake?" As if on cue, the elderly woman made a snappy gesture from the common area. Kanade stepped inside, removing her shoes promptly.

"Really now," began the elderly woman, "your parents must be worried sick by how often you run off in the middle of the night. And you think a young lady such as yourself would call ahead of time." Grumbling, she offered a cup of green tea. Smooth jazz could be heard emanating from a stereo on the counter. It was all very serene, and Kanade felt herself becoming rather eased by the atmosphere. Nonetheless, she was anxious.

"Lorelei, I am here because I want to apologize... for doubting you back in December."

"So you've finally come to accept it?"

"I never said I accepted it, and maybe I never will. But... I guess it's time for me to grow up, and face the reality that I was betrayed without even realizing it."

Lorelei's brow began to soften. "Nothing can forgive what that man has done. First to his wife, and then to his granddaughter. To tell the truth, when I first met you, I was curious how intertwined into all of this you were. I had hoped that you would be spared. Unfortunately, my wishes were a little too late." She wrapped Kanade into a hug. "But just know this. You still have your parents. I can promise you they were never involved, not for a second. And I can promise you that you will always have the Ichinose family to support you."

"T-Thank you." With that, Kanade Tachibana began to sob in the elderly woman's arms. Though she had promised so many times that she would no longer cry, she couldn't help but let the tears fall. It was what she needed to retain at least some humanity within her. And after all the pent up anguish had extinguished itself, the girl fell into a sleep.

Suzume carried her to bed while Lorelei called the girl's parents to let them know she would be staying over. A brief exchange was held, and when Lorelei hung up the phone, she breathed a deep sigh. "We're playing a dangerous game."

"What do you think is going to happen, grandma?" Suzume was leaning against a kitchen wall. "Will the Doomsday Theory come true?"

"I don't know, sweetie. I just don't know anymore. And as much as I despise Kaname's conduct, I can't help but support what he tried to preserve."

"When all worlds collide, that will be when time itself ceases to exist."

"Such was the discovery behind the Ichinose Report. But I wouldn't lose any sleep over it." With that, Lorelei made for her room. Suzume decided she'd take the couch tonight. As she closed her eyes, she cursed at the realization that through all this, she had been so powerless. She wasn't smart like her cousin, nor did she have abilities like Kanade. All she could do was watch as reality itself began to unravel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Akari Nakamura felt multiple presences enter her world all at once. One of them was that of her sister, but the others were all foreign to her. Sensing the danger, she fled into the woods when suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her, one cupping her throat.

"There isn't much time," whispered Yuri as they ducked into a small burrow.

"What's happening?"

"It would appear we've reached the climax of Project New World Order. I'm bringing you home."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," called a voice from above. With that, he stepped into the light, appearing youthful as ever.

"Naoi... so I was right after all." Yuri bit her lip as she drew her pistol from its holster. Ayato Naoi pulled a similar weapon. "Or should I say, Dr. Kaname Tachibana."

"Twenty years. I haven't heard that name in roughly twenty years." The boy stepped forward, still pointing his gun. After all, in my last life, Ayato Naoi was my real name."

"Why are you opposing us, Ayato?"

"Because you are going to bring about the end of the world. I cannot allow that to happen. I can't let you repeat the mistakes I have made."

Yuri frowned. "Why didn't you tell the truth? You've known this whole time, about all of it!"

"You wouldn't have been able to handle the truth! Knowing that it might have meant never seeing your sister again! Knowing that Kanade and Yuzaru might never see each other again! Losing your memories and starting life over, again and again for all eternity! Tell me you wouldn't have challenged it like the rest of humanity! It's what you tried to do in my original world!"

"Oh, and you're faultless? A noble saint?" The girl surged forward, aggression fueling her. "The man who voided his entire life and betrayed his living family! Whose infidelity drove his wife to suicide! Who forced his granddaughter to do his dirty work! Your obsession with being a God has alienated everyone you held dear! How do you live with yourself?"

"I may have made some mistakes, but I never tried to bring people back from the dead! You are no better than that damned director, _Yuri Nakamura_!" With that, he fired his weapon. Yuri fired back, and soon the two were trading blows with each other at close range.

"Stop it, stop it!" Akari begged and pleaded but it was to no avail. The fight continued for several minutes, until the two had used up all of their anger on each other. Bruised and cut in multiple places, with holes in their respective limbs, the two dropped to their knees, staring into each other's eyes.

"I hate you, Ayato Naoi. You were playing us all from the very beginning."

"I hate you, Yuri Nakamura. When reality falls, it will be on your shoulders." With that, he vanished. Akari ran to help up her sister. Together, the two of them vanished, Yuri reappearing in the real world, and Akari appearing as a ball of light. Akari's Illusionary World imploded on itself, a flux of energy surging across the void, bathing it in fragments of amber.

Ayato swore to himself as he watched the world disappear. "That was the final one. Earth and New Earth are all that remain. Operation New World Order has succeeded." He snapped his fingers, and the shadows began to materialize all around him. "Bring about an end to it. Leave no traces of memory!" And with that, the shadows began to move, some into New Earth, and the others...


End file.
